The present invention relates to a public terminal for access to a computer network, in particular a network of the xe2x80x9cInternetxe2x80x9d type.
Such a terminal is intended to be sited in a public place for unrestricted use by the public by using a payment card, for example a telephone card or a bank card.
To do this, this terminal comprises, in a conventional manner, means of linking to an analogue telephone network, a central unit furnished with peripherals providing a human/machine interface, an algorithm for navigating around the computer network stored in memory, and a telecommunications payment cards reader linked to automatic means for establishing a telephone link with a server centre and for maintaining the said telephone link as a function of an available call credit, which are activated as long as a payment card is introduced into the reader.
This type of terminal comprises a number of drawbacks, especially by reason of the fact that the transferring of files to the terminal is relatively lengthy, in so far as they are conveyed over an in analogue line of the telephone network.
The aim of the invention is to alleviate this drawback.
The subject of the invention is therefore a public terminal for access to a computer network of the aforesaid type, characterized in that it is furnished with means of linking to a digital network, comprising a relay controlled by the central unit in such a way as to establish a communication between the latter and the digital network as long as the telephone link with the server centre is maintained.
In various embodiments, the access terminal according to the invention comprises one or more of the following characteristics, taken in isolation or according to all technically possible combinations:
the central unit is linked to a card adapted so as to place the central unit in communication with the digital network (ISDN) and controlling the relay in such a way as to establish the said communication with the digital network upon reception of a metering pulse received from a telephony network to which the server centre is connected;
in the course of the telephone link between the server centre and the terminal, these latter exchange signals in such a way as to simulate a communication so as to maintain the telephone link;
it furthermore comprises, stored in memory, data which can be accessed free of charge by a user;
the signals exchanged between the server and the terminal constitute means of transferring data for their storage in memory;
it furthermore comprises means for directly controlling the relay in the absence of telephone communication established with the server centre, especially for updating the data stored in the terminal;
the server centre is a server centre of telematic type.